Silent firearm.



H. P. MAXIM.

SILENT FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, 1908.

958,934. Patented May 24, 1910.

' suitable cham er.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrrcn.

HIRAM PERCY MAXIM, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOBTO MAXIM SILENT FIREARMS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N; 'Y., A OOBPOMTION OF mew JERSEY.

SILENT FIREARM.

, Patented May 24, 1910.

Application filed October 28, 1998. Serial No. 459,809. v I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM PERCY MAXIM, a citizen of the United States, residin in the city of Hartford, in the State of onnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Silent Firearms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to devices for lessening the noise ofdischa-rge of firearms of the general character of 'the devices shown.

in Letters Patentof the United States No. 916,885, dated March 30, 1909, wherein the gases, following the projectile, are made to dissipate their energy b beinggiven a contmuous rota or whir ng movement in -a Continued use of devices I of this character discloses the fact that by reason of the small an le of divergence of the gases as they-pass t ough the silencing device the projectile is followed, from the outer extremity of the silencing device, by a. pencil or core of gaseswhich have not been made :to dissipate their energy in. a rotary or whirling movement in the silencing device and therefore occasion some noise of explosion, which is nevertheless trifl' as compared with the noise of discharge oa firearm without the'silencing .device. It is, therefore, one object of the present in.-

'vention to prevent the escape of such pencil or core of gases, and in accordance therewith means are provided for deflecting or turning out of a straight line, following the projectile, the gases which ordinarily would make up such pencil or core. Actual tests have shown that such means may take different forms, some of which will be described'herein, particularly that form which, with due regard to cost of manufacture and other factors, such as compactness and lightness in weight of thesilencing device, has proved to .be highly satisfactory. Another object is to further promote th rotary or whirling movement of the gases and incidentally to enable the silencing device to be applied even to a sport rifle without requiring the front sight 0 such rifle to be'disturbed. I

In the accompanying drawings in which different embodiments of the invention are illustrated, Figure 1 is a view in sideelevation of an ordinary sporting rifle equipped with the improved silencing device. Fig. 2

spreaders or devices for compelling the de'-' slred movement of the gases, several of which spreaders are shown assembled ina series in Fig. 2. f Fig. 4 is a" view similar to Fig. 2 but with a. spreader of difierent form. Fi 5 representsidetail views in elevation an section of one. of the spr'eaders shown is a view in longitudinal central section of a in Fig. 4. :Fig. 6 is a view similar toFigs'. 2

and 4 but with still another form of spreader. F g.7,represents a detail viewin e evation of onc of the spreader-s shown in Fi 6. i

' invention is shownin the drawings as adapted for application to small arms, but it will be obvious that it is applicable also to firearms or s of other kinds. Moreover while in ig. 2 the silencer. -'is shown as consisting of :a series of twelve single silencing devices or Spreaders, which number has been found in practice to give satisfactory results with a standard rifle, the number of such single silencing devices or Spreaders may be greater or smaller according to the degree to which the noise of discharge is to be lessened and according to the character of the firearm to which the silencer isa plied.

In the em odiment of the invention shown a in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing there is secured to the extremity of the barrel a of the gun in any suitable manner, as b screw threads, a casin d whichis prefera ly substantially circu ar in cross section and of greater or less length as may be required and forms a sup rt and inclosure for the series of single silencing devices or spreaders or partitlons e by which the gases, which escape at the muzzle of the barrel a, are compelled to acquire, within successive cells or chambers formed by the Spreaders or partitions e, a cpntinuo'tikotary or whirlmg movement about the axis of the casing. The actionof these devices-is similar to that of the devices shown in Fig. 20f the above mentioned Patent No. 916,885, but-they embody means by which the core or .pencil of gases which, in the use of such old form of construction, is .found to follow the projectilewithout being caused todissipate its energy in rotary-movement, isdsfiected or broken up or estroyed so that the entire body of the gases of explosion is made to dissipate its energy in such rotary move ment. The means by which such result is accomplished will resently be described. It will be observed t at each single silencing device or spreader e is generally circular or annular with reference to the axis of the shell or casing d, and is spiral or conchoidal in cross section, as in the construction shown in Fig. 2 of said'Patent No. 916,885. The narrow opening 6' through the silencing device is in partdirected toward the breech of the firearm so that some of the gases whichv follow theprojectile from the muzzle of the firearm, as they ex nd or diverge, are directed, by the guiding surface pre' sented by a portion of the wall about the openin a, into the annular conchoidal por tion 0 the single silencin device, so that the bod of gas within suc single silencing device ias acontinuous whirling or rotary movement about a substantially circular or annular line or axis, whereby, under the centrifugal action developed by such rotary movement, thegases are caused to dissi ate their energy in friction against the wafi of the silencing device, as fully described in said application.v In the present case, however, the opening-e, instead of being coaxial with the shell (1 and with the single silencing device itself, is eccentric with respect to the shell and the single silencing device, and moreover, the other wise true frusto-conical portion of the silenc ing device immediately about the opening a, is deformed in part, as at a, being inclined forwardly, in the directionof movement of the pro ectile, instead of rear= wardly. Such of the gases which follow the projectile as strike the frusto-conical portion of the single silencing device or 5 reader are directed into the annular cham r, as

before, and have therein a continuous ro-- tary or whirling movement about an annular axis, except so far as such movement is modified in each successive single silencing device as hereinafter described. Such of the es, however, as impinge upon the deormcd or forwardly inclined portion e about the openin for the passage of the projectile, are de the path of the projectile and the particles of the gas so deflected are thereby caused to collide with the particles of gas which make up the core or pencil of gases which would otherwise follow the projectile through such opening. By such collision of the particles 0 gas such pencil or core of gases, which would otherwise follow the projectile, is

itself deflected or forced to one side and is thereby made to enter or to impinge upon the next single silencing device and to issipate its energy therein instead of followected toward the axis of.

assess,

ing in the path of the project'ler Furthermore, since the opening 6 is eccentric, instead of being co-axial with the. silencing device, the pencil or core of gases thus deflected or forced to one side is made to impinge upon the surface of the next silencing ev ce in a direction approaching the tangential, and the gases are therefore caused to have a movement of rotation in contact with the annular spreader about the axis of the spreader. The rotary movement of the gases about the annular axis is therefore modified, so that, in addition to such rotary movement about an annular axis, the ases are made to rotate about the axis 0 the s reader and the shell or casing, acquiring t us a compound whirling or rotary movement in which the energy of the gases is much more uickly and effectively dissi' ated than y either movement alone.

oreover, the eccentricity of the opening for the projectile through each single silencing device permits the silencer as a whole, comprising the single silencing devices and the-supporting shell or casing, to. be disposed eccentrically with respect to the axis of the bore of the barrel to which it is applied and, the major diameter of the eccentricity being be ow the axis of the gun barrel, t e pro ection of the silencer above the axis of the gun barrel is so small as to permit the front sight on the gun barrel to remain undisturbed, so that the silencer can be applied, even to a sporting rifle, without requiring any adjustment ofeither front or rear sight to be made. The main function of. the eccentricity of the opening, however, as already explained, is as a means of promotgases by, which their energy is dissipated and of assisting in deflecting, or destroying the core or pencil of gases which would otherwise follow the projectile, this latter result, however, being mainly ac complished by means of deflecting surfaces with another portion thereof. v

Another form of the silencer in which the openin for the passage of the projectile throng the successive single silencing devices or spreaders is eccentric and in which the ases are deflected so as to turn aside or brea up or destroy the-core or encil of gases, which would otherwise fo low the projectile, is shown in Fi 4 and 5. The mode of action of this orm of device is substahtially the same as that already described except that the movement of rotation of the gases, by which their energy is dissipated, is about the longitudinal axis of the silencer and is not about an annular axis. In this construction the shell or casingd sup orts a series of substantially flat lates or isks h which have each an opening h for the passage of the projectile, such ing the rotary or whirling movement of the breaking up which cause a portion of the gases to collide mad mass

opening being eccentric, as already described, and have each, adjacent to such eccentric opening h, a deflecting surface k by which the gases which im inge thereon are deflected and made to co lide with the seswhich would-otherwise follow the proect-ile in the same straight line and thereby to deflect or break up or destroy such core o'r pencil of gases and direct'the gases somewhat tangentially into the next successive silencing chamber wherein they are e to acquire a rotary movement about the longitudinal axis of the silencer and to dissipate their energy. The single silencing devices or spreaders it; may be spaced apart by suitable spacing sleeves h "Still another form of silencer in which means for deflecting or breaking up or destroying the core or pencil of gases which shell or casing) for t wjectile. About the "0 would otherwise ,follow the projectile are provided, but in which the eccentricity of the'opening for the projectile is not a feature is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The shell or casing of I supports and incloses a series of single silencing devices or Spreaders 71, each of which has an openin z (co-axial with the e passage of the proenin a" each silencing device or spreader is dis ed forwardly'or providedwith forwardly orinwardly inclined deflecting surfaces 13 and is also provided, about the o stantially tangential lades or vanes 71 These tangential blades or vanes constitute the means by which the gases are caused to acquire the desired rotary or whirling movement about the longitudinal axis of the silencer in the succeeding chamber and the deflecting surfaces a" by deflecting some portions of the gases and causing them to collide with the pencil or core of gases which would otherwise follow the projectile, constitute means for deflecting or breaking up or destroying such core or pencil of gases, the tangential blades or vanes also coiipcrating with the deflecting surfaces in producing this result.

Obviously other forms of devices than those shown may be employed to deflect or break up or destroy the core or pencil of gases which tends to follow the projectile through the silencer.. Whatever be the particular form employed the result is that the energy of the whole body of gases is inuch more effectively dissipated within the silencer and the passage of gases from the silencer under sufl'icient pressure to cause'an undesirable noise as they escape into the surrounding atmosphere is much more effectively prevented than would be the case if no such means were provided.

I claim as my invention:

1. A silencing device for firearms comprisin a-chamber adapted to communicate with tie bore of the firearm and havingan ening '5, with subwhereby the core or pencil of gases follow-* ing the projectile through such openin is deflected from movement in a longitudinal direction.

2. VA silencing device for firearms comprising opening for the passage of the projectile, means whereby the gases are made to acquire a continuous rotary or whirling movement about a stationary axis insaid chamber and to dissipate their energy therein, and a deflecting surface adjacent to said opening by which the gases which impinge on said deflecting sur ace are made to collide with the gases which pass directly through said opening and t ereby deflect-and break up the core or pencil of gases tending to fol-- low the projectile through the opening.

3. A silencing device for firearms comprising a chamber adapted to communicate with the bore of the firearm, said chamber having an e ening for: the passage of the projectile whic is eccentrically disposed and a deflecting surface adjacent to said openingto cause the ases which im in e collide with the p g through the opening. I

4. A silencing device for firearms comprising an annular chamber substantially conupon the same to choidal in cross section and havingian o n-' ing for the passage of the projectile and aving its mouth about said opening directed toward the breech of the firearm in opposition to the directionof movement of the projectile but with a ortion thereof deformed to constitute a deflecting surface directed inwardly and forwardly, whereby some of the gasesfollowing the projectile are caused to acquire a rotary or whirling movement in the chamber about a substantially circular or annular axis and to dissipate their energy therein and other portions of such gases impinging upon said deflecting surface are directed against the gases which pass directly through the opening.

5. A silencing device for firearms comprising an annular chamber, substantially conchoidal in cross'section, having an eccentric .opening for the assage of the projectile and having its mout about said eccentric opening directed toward the breech of the fire arm. in opposition to the direction of movement of the projectile and deformed to constitute a deflecting surface directed forwardly and inwardly, whereby some of the gases are caused to acquire a rotary or whirling movement in the chamber about a substantially circular or annular axis and other portions of the gases are directed by said degases which pass directly 75 a chamber adapted to communicate 'wlth the bore of the firearm and having an spreaders disposed in said shell flectin surface against the gases which pass direct y through the eccentrlc opening.

\ G. A silencing device for firearms comprising a supporting shell or casing, a series of or casing and forming a succession of chambers, each of said spreaders having an opening for the passage of the projectile means whereby the gases are made to acquire a continuous rotary or whirling movement about a stationary axis in each of said chambers to dissipate their energy thereby, and; means whereby the core or pencil of gases following the projectile throu h such opening in each spreader is deflected rom movement in a longitudinal direction.

7. A silencing device for firearms comprising a supporting shell or casing, a series of spreaders disposed within said shell or casing and forming. a succession of chambers, each of said s readers having an opening for the assage 0? sur ace adjacent to said opening whereby portions of the gases are directed y said deflectin gases ollowing t opening.

8. A silencing device for firearms comprising a supporting shell or casing and a series e projectile through said the projectile and a deflecting surface aglainst other portions of the 27th day of October,

of spreaders disposed within said supporting shell or casing and forming between them a succession of chambers, each of said spreaders having an eccentrically disposed opening for the passa e of the projectile and a deflecting surface adjacent to said openingi whereby the gases which impinge upon sai deflecting surface are directed against the gases f0 owing the projectile through said opening.

9. A silencing device for firearms comprising a su porting shell or casing and a series of sprea ers disposed within said supporting shell or casing and forming a succession'of chambers, each of said spreaders forming an annular cell substantially conchoidal in cross section and having an opening eccentrically disposed for the passage of the projectile with a deflecting surface adjacent; to said opening whereby the gases which impinge upon said deflecting surface are directed against the gases following the projectile through said opening.

This specification signed and witnessed this A. D. 1908. HIRAM Signed in the presence of- HELEN P. CHAPMAN, Josnrnmn H. MAXIM.

PERCY 

